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Battle of Malwerk Crossing
The Battle of Malwerk Crossing was a skirmish between Posnovian forces and Imperial engineers during the days of the Third Empire, specifically 498ME. It is widely notable in canine communities as a call for equal military treatment, something unheard of during the battle. Background As Imperial forces laid down the Trans-Territa line, more and more workers were sent to the ever expanfing frontlines as engineers. Soon, a plan was devised to let canines work on the railroads, away from combat. It was the general opinion that dogs were "unfit to fight" and "more likely to retreat or surrender". Still, they asked for volunteers to work in this role, several miles from the front. Two "platoons" of "engineers" were raised, simply dogs granted bolt action rifles and a single clip. They were sent to Malwerk Crossing by horse-drawn wagon, and immediatly put to work. Laying track by day, their rifles were stored in a train car under lock and key, kept by Imperial officers. Should the unit meet the enemy, it should have been a massacre. Two days after they arrived, the 289th Posnov Guards Company launched a counter attack on a weak spot in the Imperial line, breaking through. Their commander, Zashi Bulmahk, decided to strike Imperial supply columns, marching his men straight for the depot in Malwerk. At that point, the dogs were laying at the station in Malwerk, right in the way of the Posnovian assault. Order of Battle Posnovian forces descended on Malwerk Crossing in the early morning, around 8:12. Seeing the large amount of unarmed workers, Bulmahk sent an officer to request their surrender. Why he did this is up to question, as Posnovians rarely took prisoners. Regardless of the cause, when the officer arrived he was struck down by Ilo Rever, a worker who would go on to secure equal military rights for canines. His commander, the fox Jun Silvermoon, gave him a short reprimand before ordering the workers to collect rifles. Posnovian forces watched, and though most of the officers became enraged that their comrade had fallen to a simple laborer. But Major Zashi simply laughed, saying, "Let them have that. We shall string that dog up by his neck." All of the armored cars were sent, along with a heavy machine gun platoon. Cpt. Jun Silvermoon's Speech Before Posnovian forces struck with their full force, it is recorded that Jun Silvermoon stood atop a pallet of railroad ties and gave the following speech: "Workers! We are granted, today, an oppurtunity. We are now a front line unit. We cannot fall. The Empire will watch what we do here. Should we fall, we prove them right. But if we stand, if we drive these heathens back into their holes, we will prosper. Today, this day, we will show the world what a canine soldier can do. We will push them back, and they will fear us. It will ring in their mountain dwellings and the Hapsburg streets that canines fought off what the front line could not. Take up arms, stand and fight! Not for this railroad, not for the front line, stand and fight for all of you! Your brothers and sisters, your mothers and fathers and children, they will remember this day with pride!" First Engagement The wrokers were not completely defencless. By hand, they pushed and pulled train cars, making lines to fall back on. By the time they had finished the first "line", the armored cars had arrived. Moving slowly in formation, firing their auto-cannons, some dogs fell back. Others held, inside the cover of the train cars. Ilo Rever took two workers with him, gathering dynamite intended for clearing tunnels. He led the two to flank the cars, lighting the explosives with a cigarette. By hurling the explosives, he and the others destroyed the first two. One car drove around, exposing the open back to rifle fire from the bulk of the Imperial forces. Its gunners were killed, it attempted to escape, but the engine stalled and was overrun by Ilo's fire team. They climbed aboard and turned the gun on the last armored car, easily punching through the side armor with the 15mm auto-cannon. As the last of the armored cars were dealt with, the heavy machine gunners began to arrive. They deployed guns uphill of the armored cars, firing from long range. But the Posnovian machine gun of the time, the low-velocity ZLW 32, could not penetrate the armored car that had been captured. The auto-cannon did have the range to return fire, as the canines soon found out. They returned fire at each emplacement, completely disabling two guns and causing the others to retreat. Waves Major Bulmahk watched as his best anti-infantry weapons were defeated. knowing he only had infantry, but a large group of them, he arranged them into five, hundred-soldier waves. As the gunners returned, he had them shot for incompetency and prepared himself and his officers to retake the other two machine guns that were still operational. He charged with the first wave downhill, breaking off to claim the weapons left on the hill. Ilo had pulled the car back, his comrades adding wooden railroad ties for added protection. They were able to see the waves forming, but their officers ordered them to stay. First Platoon's commander, First Sergeant Xena Kay, stood amongst the dogs as their commander. As the first wave charged she drew her pistol, emptying the clip with her "soldiers". Though she was a cat, she earned the respect of the dogs, and after she was injured badly the drug her back to the officer's command car. The first wave was repelled, but at 8:30 the second wave charged, the first line of defense near broken and the defenders there fell back before the wave hit. The armored car was left behind, but Ilo had his men remove the autocannon. They set it up on a flat-bed car, easily moved as it had a near empty clip. The worker's too were low on ammunition, and